Boris Johnson has written a personal letter to the families of the 10 innocent people killed at Ballymurphy during the Northern Ireland Troubles saying he is truly sorry for the hurt and agony.
The Stormont Executive is set to discuss the possibility of easing pandemic rules around hugging, the First Minister has said.
Arlene Foster said ministers have noted developments in the rest of the UK after Prime Minister Boris Johnson said people in England would be able to hug each other “with caution” from May 17.
She said hugging as well as international travel will feature in discussions around the coronavirus regulations at the next meeting of the Executive on Thursday.
Northern Ireland First Minister Arlene Foster (Niall Carson/PA)
She said it would be “absolutely wrong” to prejudge what ministers will decide.
It looks like being an interesting political summer for Northern Ireland eureporter.co - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from eureporter.co Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.
The Journal brings you the five biggest stories of the day.
1. #NPHET: A FURTHER 545 cases of Covid-19 have been reported in Ireland, public health officials have said.
2. #DUP: Northern Ireland First Minister Arlene Foster has confirmed she will be stepping down as an Assembly member for Fermanagh and South Tyrone.
3. #CRIME: Three people have been arrested after gardaí seized over €1 million worth of suspected cocaine, cannabis and tablets during searches in Co Meath.
4. #BELFAST: There were long queues outside retail and hospitality businesses in Belfast as restrictions were lifted.
5. #LEVEL WHATEVER: Minister for Health Stephen Donnelly has said that the Government’s ‘Covid-19 levels’ are “largely gone”, but that they’re still a “useful architecture”.
12:51 EDT, 29 April 2021
LONDON (AP) - Northern Ireland s Democratic Unionist Party is looking for a new leader following First Minister Arlene Foster s announcement that she will be standing down after nearly 5 1/2 years in the post.
Following weeks of pressure related to her handling of Brexit and her perceived softening on social issues such as abortion and LGBT rights, Foster said she would step down as leader of the party on May 28 and as first minister of Northern Ireland at the end of June.
Her successor, who will be the party s fourth leader, is set to be chosen in a ballot of the party s lawmakers in the U.K. Parliament in London as well as those in Northern Ireland s power-sharing assembly in Belfast.